Home Sweet Hive

Doylestown’s Honey delivers inspired American dining to your own backyard.
By Neil Harner

Who says you have to travel into the city to get a unique fine dining experience?  Right in your own backyard in Doylestown is Honey; one of the most distinctly bold restaurants worthy of nothing less than the grandeur commonly reserved for restaurants surrounded by sky scrapers and the hustle and bustle of urban dwellers.

Honey’s menu of shared small plates features, what they call, “inspired American dining” cuisine.  All of the dishes offered on the menu are designed to be shared so that diners can experience cuisine with one another rather than just dining and dashing.  This cozy restaurant located on Shewell Ave., around the corner from the courthouse, is the perfect dining destination for couples or friends looking to turn a meal into the evening’s entertainment.

I was fortunate enough to experience this restaurant with my girlfriend and friends of ours who were recently married. Upon first arriving, we were greeted like old friends by none-other than the restaurant’s partner owner and front of the house manger, Amy McAtee.  She walked us through the restaurant to the perfect table (there’s not a bad seat in the house) where I found myself overtaken by the earthly-inspired décor–from hexagon honeycombs mounted on the wall to a large stone façade, shelving tea lights that cast romantic lighting throughout the space.
Although Honey does not have a full bar, we were surprised to find the incredible selection of Pennsylvania craft beers and distinctly unique cocktails it offers; including beers by Troegs and Weyerbacher  as well as cocktails featuring their own rosemary infused gin and pepper infused vodka.  Partner owner and Chef, Joe McAtee welcomed us in his own culinary way by delivering a amuse bouche to whet our palettes and appetites.  This consisted of a tiny English Cucumber, Salmon Mousse and Micro-Arugula.  The delightful balance of the cool, crisp and sweet cucumber with the more salty and creamy salmon was the perfect introduction to an evening of complex contrasting flavors that left us begging for more.

Shortly following, we started our first course which consisted of Edamame Hummus and Black Tea Spare Ribs.  The hummus was light, smooth, and creamy in itself but what really made it bold was the topping of pickled jalapeno and cucumber relish, which gave it a subtle sweet and spiciness.  When one of Honey’s wait staff delivered the ribs, he said to our table, “we recommend smothering the rib with the ice cream.”  Everyone in our party looked at one another with the sort of look which clearly said, “who’s going to try it first.”  That person was me.  The subtle spices of the warm rib along with the clean taste of tea in the glaze perfectly harmonized with the cool ginger and spice of the ice cream.  The meat of the rib was perfectly cooked and fell right off the bone. As a result, this quickly became one of our favorites throughout the meal.

Our second course consisted of Butter Poached King Crab and Octopus Tempura. The king crab was served with golden carrots over a lobster-carrot puree and a small drizzle of hot curry oil.  The natural sweetness of the crab complemented the buttery richness of how it was prepared and the heat of the curry oil was the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the carrots.  The octopus was another dish of intrigue.  Once again the guinea pig, I was happy to find how tender and mild flavored it was, which balanced the flavors of the Asian-inspired sweet rice and baby bok-choy it was served with.

The following course included the Foie Gras Sliders and Veal Cheek Ravioli.  The slider was perfectly prepared with the smokiness of the duck bacon contrasting with the sweetness of the cranberry-horseradish ketchup and thinly sliced Seckel pear.  Although stuffed with veal, the raviolis were surprisingly light and carried an unusual sense of refreshment as a result of the mildly sweet peas and mint.

The main course consisted of Lobster Spaghetti and Steak & Eggs.  The spaghetti was nothing short of exquisite.  The perfectly prepared lobster and artichoke smothered in a lobster butter sauce took the meaning of rich to a new level.  And on the opposite end of the spectrum was the classic American breakfast inspired porcini crusted filet mignon over top of Yukon gold potato & black truffle scrambled eggs served with a foie gras and balsamic onion syrup topped French toast.

Finally, there is no concluding a meal without dessert. We tried the Chocolate Chile Crème Brule and the Booze For Dessert. The chocolate crème brule was sweet and seductive and the light spice accentuated the richness and purity of the chocolate.  The Booze For Dessert is a perfectly moist Jameson Irish Whiskey-Walnut bread pudding topped with a Bailey’s glaze and a scoop of Guinness ice cream.  It is truly any Irishman’s dream come true.
By the end of the meal, we found ourselves quite full and satisfied from the many different flavors which immersed our palettes.  Amazingly, every combination of unique and distinctly different flavors, although dramatic was nothing less than inspired bliss with every bite.

Before we left, I took a brief opportunity to talk to Amy during this particularly busy Saturday night about her business and she was kind enough to show me her “baby book.”  This small photo album, which can be found in the restaurant’s foyer, documents her and her husband’s creation of Honey from personally demolishing the original space to creating the overall décor.

When asked about her husband; Chef Joe, it is clear that the love they share is undeniably expressed through the restaurant and the food it serves, that in many ways has become their child.  And through that passion they bring people together for unique and memorable occasions that always satisfy.
Honey Restaurant is located at 42 Shewell Avenue in Doylestown. For more information, visit www.honeyrestaurant.com or call (215) 489-4200.  Reservations are strongly recommended, especially on the weekends.